


Healing You

by hannefm



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Kitsune AU, Yokai AU, Yokai!GoM, child!kuroko, kitsune!Akashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-20 11:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6003340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannefm/pseuds/hannefm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To the west of the Kiseki village lived a terrifying beast with nine-tails and red hair. But a young Kuroko Tetsuya thinks he may be misunderstood…or at least he thinks he should be given a chance, the kitsune’s tails are fluffy after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fluffy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hello! Just a note before this story begins – whilst this is a yokai AU there are quite a few inaccuracies in regard to the actual lore of yokais – I am aware of this but I hope you enjoy it anyway!
> 
>  **Disclaimer** – I do not own Kuroko no Basuke

**Chapter 1 – Fluffy**

Sitting by the glittering river in a massive, lively forest was a kitsune with scarlet hair and tails.

As he looked to the clear blue summer sky he reminisced of the days when he was idolised as if he were a God. The humans had even built a shrine in his honour. Now, however, he was feared. Any human who caught sight of him immediately ran away. Even the other yokai avoided contact with him, except for his handful of rainbow haired friends, though he hadn't seen any of them in a long while now.

Whilst Akashi was lost in his own mind, sat by the river's edge, he was surprised to hear the light sound of footsteps approaching from the trees behind him. _No one usually wanders this close to my home…_ The kitsune thought. He lived in the surprisingly spacious and comfy cave that was nestled in a large hill just a few meters away from the river side.

His ears twitched as the footsteps, which were still barely audible, suddenly came to a halt and were immediately followed by the sound of a small gasp.

"They're so fluffy!"

Akashi stood and made to turn around only to find a small, teal haired boy with a beaming smile, who was now grabbing his tails with little fingers. The child was wearing black trousers with a simplistic shirt made of cotton in a colour that almost matched the boy's hair and was tied with a grey belt. The cold colour of the outfit contrasted that of Akashi's hot red and black long kimono, decorated with intricate flower and flame patterns.

"Excuse me." Akashi said, obviously unimpressed at the boy cuddling his tails as if they were a child's favourite teddy bear.

The boy looked up into Akashi's intimidating blood red eyes, but rather than instantly becoming afraid by the dark aura he simply cocked his head and asked "Kitty?"

Akashi's mood dropped even further. " _No._ " He said irately.

The child stared at him a little longer before a look of realisation crossed his eyes.

"Are you Akashi-sama?"

 _So he_ has _heard of me. Is this kid just stupid?_ The red-head thought.

Silence was the response the child was given. Akashi simply continued to glare at the tiny human. _He only looks to be about 5 years old…why isn't he running away?_ Akashi wondered.

When the boy came to realise that the red haired yokai was not going to supply an answer he decided to continue snuggling the tails.

Annoyed, Akashi decided that perhaps he should reply to the boy's question. "Yes, I am Akashi Seijuro, the kitsune who lives in this forest. Now would you kindly stop-"

Before Akashi could finish the kid beamed and said "Akashi-sama's tails are so fluffy and soft, I love them!"

Proudly, Akashi said "Well that is because I brush and clean them every day of course."

"They're so soft and fluffy…I want to chop them off and take them home!"

At that, Akashi finally snapped. He pulled his tails away from the child's grasp and hissed "You will do no such thing mortal."

The small child, sad to have his play thing taken away from him, pulled a very upset expression, tears welling in his big blue eyes. "I wouldn't really." He whispered, his eyes dropping to the ground.

Akashi didn't know why, but seeing the little kid so sad, burnt away his annoyance and melted his heart.

He was about to allow the kid to pet his tails again out of guilt when another human entered the scene.

"Tetsuya! Where on Earth have you been?!" A worried woman called a few metres away from the two.

The boy picked up his gaze to look at the woman who had hair and eyes that matched his own. "I wanted to go on an adventure Okaa-san."

But as her son began speaking she noticed the demon stood behind him.

"Kuroko Tetsuya get over here now!"

"But I wanted to talk to Akashi-sama more." The child said dejectedly.

"Tetsuya, we need to go now. You shouldn't be bothering Akashi-sama."

Kuroko moved over to his mother, now even sadder than before.

"Thank you for not bringing harm to my son Akashi-sama." The woman said, bowing to the kitsune, truly trying to be respectful.

She then promptly picked up her son before walking back to their village through the forest.

Akashi was surprised to say the least. _Today I met two humans that were not afraid of me, how unusual._

The mother had seemed panicked at first but Akashi had quickly noticed that she had simply feared for her son's safety, once she saw Akashi she still showed some concern but she had still relaxed somewhat and gone as far as to speak to him respectfully.

Meanwhile, the child, _Tetsuya_ , had shown no fear in approaching him even though he had recognised him…even though he must have heard the rumours….

* * *

It wasn't until a few days later that Akashi's and Kuroko's paths crossed again. The crimson haired kitsune was sat reading by a tree when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Akashi-sama! I found you!" A triumphant young boy said.

Akashi looked over to Kuroko, who was stood pointing at him with a smile.

"And why in the world were you looking for me brat?"

"Because you seemed…lonely." The kid said shyly.

The boy's answer surprised the kitsune yet again. He had been expecting a stupid reply such as _'I wanted to cuddle your fluffy tails again!'_

"Why would you say that?" Akashi asked with interest.

"I could tell, when I saw you sat by the river. You looked a bit sad…"

"Sad?"

"Yes. Like you were missing something."

Akashi was in a stunned silence, eyes wide. Never did he think that a child could read him so easily.

"I thought I could cheer Akashi-sama up!" The sky-blue haired boy said cheerily before running up and hugging Akashi.

"Tetsuya…" Akashi whispered looking at the boy, touched by Kuroko's words.

"Everyone says that Akashi-sama is evil but I don't think that's true."

"And why do you think that?" The crimson haired fox asked with an unbefitting look of confusion painted on his face.

"Because you're so fluffy!" Kuroko said with a smile.

Akashi gave a small laugh at that.

"And because I had never met Akashi-sama until recently and you can't judge someone without meeting them. That's what Okaa-san says." The boy said looking into the kitsune's jewel like eyes.

"Your Okaa-san sounds very wise Tetsuya."

"She told me I shouldn't annoy you though…" Kuroko said with a slight frown forming on his lips. "Am I annoying you Akashi-sama?" He asked with a concerned expression.

Akashi's mind was racing. This child had shown him more kindness than anyone he had met in the past century. Akashi's natural response was to be cold, reflecting back the emotions usually given to him. Yet something about Kuroko Tetsuya made him feel all warm inside, and he couldn't bring himself to give the kid the cold shoulder.

"No Tetsuya. I suppose you aren't annoying me."

* * *

"Akashi-sama!" Kuroko called out worriedly as he ran towards the kitsune, going so fast he almost tripped.

Akashi looked over to the boy, watching him come panting over to his place by the river. "What's wrong Tetsuya?" He asked with concern.

Kuroko stopped in front of the red-head and put forward his hands which were cupped together and holding something. "Please help the birdie Akashi-sama! I think its wing is broken." The young human begged with a look of dismay.

Looking at the tiny, black feathered bird cradled in Kuroko's hands, Akashi observed that the boy was probably correct in saying its wing was broken.

"Calm down Tetsuya. Just hold it still okay?"

Kuroko responded with a small nod.

It was then that the yokai raised his right hand and hovered it over the bird. Kuroko watched in awe as a beautiful golden light came from Akashi's hand and shone onto the little bird's wing. A couple of seconds later, the light faded and the feathered creature began to stir in the boy's hand before standing up and chirping.

Kuroko's face lit up with a beaming smile as he watched the bird. "Thank you Akashi-sama! You're really amazing!"

A light laugh came from Akashi alongside a fond smile. "It's nothing Tetsuya."

Lifting his arms up, Kuroko said "Fly away birdie!" And the bird did as he asked.

* * *

Following their third meeting, Kuroko and Akashi continued to meet each other rather regularly by the river where they had first met. Akashi found that he quite enjoyed the boy's company and hearing the stories he would tell about his village.

It was a hot afternoon when Akashi sat with his legs in the water, waiting for his younger friend to join him.

When an hour had passed without the human appearing, Akashi grew impatient and decided to go search for the teal-head.

It didn't take him long until he came across a group of children in the forest ahead of him. Four of them were standing around something. No… _someone_ …

It was then that Akashi realised in horror that it was Kuroko lying in the centre, with a larger child kicking him in the stomach. Akashi didn't need his supernatural hearing to be able to pick up on the name calling.

"Freak!"

"Demon!"

Akashi hastily made his presence known to the bullies. As soon as the children caught a glimpse of Akashi's wrathful face, they ran.

Deciding against exacting revenge on Kuroko's behalf just yet, he left them to scamper home in favour of attending to Kuroko.

"Tetsuya." Akashi said in quiet voice.

"A-Akashi-sama?" The human asked.

"It's me. It's okay now." Akashi crouched down and looked over the child, noticing a scraped knee and a cut on his face, as if someone had punched him hard and shoved him to the ground.

Tears shimmered in Kuroko's big eyes as he looked at Akashi

The kitsune gently brought his hand to the boy's face. A warm golden glow ebbed into existence from the hand as Akashi began to heal Kuroko's injuries.

Once he had finished healing the boy, he asked "Does it still hurt?"

Kuroko replied by shaking his head.

"Good." Akashi whispered before he wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him up into a hug. The cerulean-head responded by burying his face in the yokai's shoulder and clutching onto the back of the kimono that Akashi was wearing as if his life depended on it.

Tears began spilling out of the young human's eyes and dampening Akashi's clothes.

"Thank you." He sobbed. "Thank you."

Akashi sat and just held Kuroko in his arms, letting him cry out his negative feelings. Once the gentle sobs stopped, the crimson eyed fox asked a question.

"Why were they hurting you Tetsuya?"

Kuroko gave a sniffle before talking. "They all say I'm weird. They say I'm like a phantom and now that I've started being friends with Akashi-sama, they think I'm a demon."

It was hard to take in the information that he was partly responsible for Kuroko's beating. "I'm sorry Tetsuya." He apologised, rubbing soothing circles on the boys back.

A sniff came from Kuroko before he said sadly, "It's okay, it's not Akashi-sama's fault. It's my fault for being weird."

"Being weird is not always bad Tetsuya. And they should never hurt you because of it, okay? If they give you any more trouble, tell me and I'll deal with them."

"Akashi-sama is too kind." Kuroko said, burying his head back into Akashi's neck.

Akashi found some irony in that. He gave a chuckle before whispering "I think it is Tetsuya who is too kind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>  The beginning of this story was inspired by the wonderful oyakorodesu's (or Yami) art. You guys can check out the original post here: http://oyakorodesu.tumblr.com/post/116470747720/day-5-akakuroweek-im-an-au-seeking-person-3  
> You should definitely check out her art!
> 
> I've actually been wanting to write this for ages and I finally got round to it in January when I was struggling to write more of Lost and Found. Please let me know what you guys think and if you want more! Feel free to ask me any questions.


	2. New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:**  
>  **Tanuki** = Raccoon dog yokai  
>  **Inugami** = Dog yokai  
>  **Nekomata** = Cat yokai  
>  **Mujina** = Badger yokai

**Chapter 2 – New Friends**

"Which village do you live in then Tetsuya?"

"Ah, I'm from the village east of here. It's called Kiseki."

_Kiseki…_ The name rang a bell in Akashi's head.

"Okaa-san said that five yokai used to protect our village a few generations back, but Okaa-san said they all left before she was born."

_Ah yes, the Kiseki village. Of course he's from there..._ The one Akashi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles had once watched over before…before the incident...

"Do you know it?" The observant boy asked.

"Yes, I've been there before. A long, long time ago." Akashi said distantly.

"Oh, how old is Akashi-sama?" Kuroko had been wondering for a while. He had been informed that yokai did not age as humans did. His mother had told him that whilst Akashi may look like a 20 year old man he was likely much older.

"Hmmmm…" Akashi gave thought to the question. Honestly he'd lost track of his exact age. "I'm a little over 200 years old."

At first Kuroko's eyes widened in surprise, but then a thought entered his mind. "Akashi-sama is so old, maybe I should call him 'old man'." Kuroko teased.

"Oh really, maybe I should call you a baby."

"I am not a baby!" Kuroko said defensively.

"Oho, and how old is Tetsuya?"

"I'm 6 years old now!"

Akashi scoffed. "Baby."

"Old man." Kuroko said disgruntledly.

A moment of silence passed with a grumpy looking Kuroko staring at the floor.

Akashi, noticing the grouchy mood of the boy after being called a baby, decided to cheer the boy up. He swished one of his tails into Kuroko's face.

In an attempt to continue his sulk, the human batted the tail away. But Akashi did not give in and tickled Kuroko's face with another tail. Soon he was attacking the boy with all nine of his tails and Kuroko was giggling and grabbing the tails to hug them.

* * *

_2 years later_

"Tetsuya, are you going out again?"

"Yes Okaa-san."

"You've been seeing Akashi-sama even more so than usual recently. Do make sure you stay safe little one." Kuroko's mother said, giving her only son a big hug and a light kiss on the forehead.

"I will Okaa-san."

"Well while you're out can you collect some more firewood for me? And if you come across any rare herbs make sure to bring them home."

"Yes Okaa-san."

The boy shut the door to his modest, wooden home before wandering out into the forest.

* * *

"Shintaro, I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I thought I'd come visit you. I only just recently returned from my travels."

"Did you succeed in learning more about humans?" Akashi asked, remembering why the green haired man had left in the first place.

"To some extent. Though some of their behaviours and traditions are still a mystery to me."

"Have you seen any of the other three since returning?"

"No. I plan on visiting them later. How are you anyway? I assume you're doing better than when we last met." Midorima questioned.

Before Akashi was able to reply however, the two were interrupted.

"Akashicchi! Midorimacchi!"

Midorima gave an exasperated sigh and pushed his glasses up.

"Ryouta, what are you doing here?" Akashi inquired.

"I came to see Akashicchi and Midorimacchi! I heard you got better Akashicchi!"

"Yes, that was a couple of decades ago Ryouta."

"Huh?! Why didn't you come tell us Akashicchi? I've missed you so much." Kise said.

"I needed some time to think before I met up with you all again."

The three were about to continue their conversation when a mildly timid voice spoke up. "A-Akashi-sama…?"

Akashi looked over and saw his little blue haired friend. "Tetsuya." He called softly, noticing that the child was hiding behind a tree slightly and looking curiously at Akashi's two yokai friends. "It's okay Tetsuya, these two are my friends. The green haired tanuki is Midorima Shintaro and the blond inugami is Kise Ryouta. They won't hurt you, I promise."

Kuroko came out from behind the tree before bowing and greeting the yokai. He then started walking over to the three, clearly moving more towards Akashi than the other two.

"Cuuuute! Hello Tetsuya!" Kise beamed at the kid, having noticed how Akashi had called him. Before the blond could run over to smother Kuroko with a hug Akashi spoke.

"Ryouta, don't."

"Aw, but Akashicchi."

"Come here Tetsuya." Kuroko did as he was asked and when the human held out his arms, Akashi lifted him up to carry him.

"Why does Kise-sama say your name so weirdly?"

"I add 'cchi' to his name because I respect Akashicchi a lot." Kise explained.

"And who exactly is this?" Midorima chipped in having been observing the boy and his interactions with Akashi.

Kuroko did not shy away from the intense stare of the tanuki but he didn't answer either. Instead Akashi explained. "This is my friend Kuroko Tetsuya from the Kiseki village." The use of the word 'friend' alongside Akashi hugging the child surprised Midorima, last he'd checked Akashi had been the fear-inducing leader of the Generation of Miracles, yet here he was cradling a human child.

Kuroko moved his head back to look at the kitsune and he smiled. "Akashi-sama called me his friend!" He said triumphantly before wrapping his arms around the red-head's neck in a hug.

"How come Akashicchi gets a hug from Tetsuyacchi?!" Kise exclaimed.

The teal haired human turned and stared at Kise and answered. "Because Akashi-sama is my friend."

"Why don't we be friends as well Tetsuyacchi? Then you can give me a hug too." Kise suggested happily. Kuroko immediately shot him down with a curt "No." Before he turned his head away in favour of resting his chin on Akashi's shoulder.

"But Tetsuyacchi…" Kise whined disappointedly.

Akashi did not expect to see the little one give someone the cold shoulder but he had to admit he was kind of glad that Kuroko was particularly attached to him and no-one else.

"Leave him be Ryouta."

"You're both so mean." Kise said as he began to fake cry.

"You said he's from the Kiseki village?" Midorima interrupted, trying to bring the conversation back to something he could bare to listen to.

"I did."

"I don't remember a Kuroko family…"

"I assume it was one of the families that moved to the village after our…departure."

"I see."

During the two yokai's conversation, Kise had snuck around behind Akashi and was trying to make friends with Kuroko by pulling silly faces. However he was disappointed to only get a blank stare from the boy in response.

"Ryouta, I told you to leave him alone." Akashi sighed.

"Why won't he be my friend?"

"Perhaps he knows how annoying you are." Midorima suggested.

"You're all so mean to me." Kise sulked.

* * *

"Akashi-sama?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can I help you brush your tails today?" Kuroko asked. He'd been sat watching the kitsune comb one of his tails for a few minutes now and the need to stroke them was growing more and more by the second.

"I suppose you can, just be gentle. There's another brush by my bed."

Kuroko hastily ran into the cave to grab the aforementioned brush before settling down behind Akashi, crossing his legs and grabbing a slightly bedraggled looking tail.

If there was one thing Akashi appreciated, it was the care Kuroko used when he assisted him in the brushing of his tails. The boy used delicate strokes, making sure not to pull too hard on any tangles. Of course this meant it took him ten times longer to complete brushing and cleaning each tail but Akashi was still grateful for the effort and caution Kuroko exercised.

However, Akashi noticed Kuroko was taking a particularly long time in taking care of one of his tails. He looked over his shoulder to see that the boy had put down the brush and was actually stood right up next to him and was pulling some of the hair on his head into separate strands, threading them around each other.

"Tetsuya?"

"Yes Akashi-sama?"

"Are you braiding my hair?"

Kuroko gave a nervous smile. "Kise-sama said they looked cool when I braided his hair. I thought you might like it too…"

Akashi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, now that you've started you may as well finish it then."

It took the boy several minutes to finish the plait. Once he was done though he began doing something else.

"Tetsuya?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing now?" Akashi asked. The boy was stood behind him wrapping a piece of wire around his head whilst the red-head continued to groom his tails.

"I'm measuring your head." Kuroko replied matter-of-factly, offering no further insight into what his plan was.

"May I ask why you're doing that?"

"So I can make Akashi-sama a present!"

"Oh? What present?" Akashi inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a surprise. Kise-sama taught me how to make them." Kuroko said. "Just wait here for a bit."

Once Kuroko had apparently finished measuring Akashi's head, the boy ran off into the forest.

The kitsune looked up and watched the child run around, picking flowers with great concentration, before Akashi turned his attention back to brushing his tails.

After a while, Kuroko came pattering over and waited for Akashi to look up at him. When he did, the fox was greeted by the sight of a smiling Kuroko holding a fine looking blue and white flower crown. "I thought Akashi-sama would look cute with this on."

Akashi took the floral headpiece and held it up for inspection. There were a few roughly threaded parts but generally the crown was well crafted and surprisingly the colour scheme Kuroko chose worked very well.

"Thank you Tetsuya." Akashi thanked, truly grateful for the thought. However he was slightly worried about how it may damage his image as a fierce, all-powerful nine-tailed kitsune if he was seen wearing a flower crown.

Kuroko, noticing that Akashi had yet to put it on, frowned slightly. "Does Akashi-sama not like it?"

"I love it Tetsuya, it's wonderful." He hastily answered before carefully placing it on his head, being careful of his fox ears.

"Akashi-sama looks so cute and handsome!" Kuroko said with a smile, looking at the kitsune face and head.

"What did you just call me?"

"Cute and handsome. You even have soft, fluffy ears!" Kuroko said, reaching his little hand out to pet Akashi's red ears.

At the contact the ears twitched slightly, making Kuroko giggle. The sight, alongside Kuroko's words from a moment ago, was making a light blush spread across the kitsune's cheeks.

"Akashi-sama is my favourite!"

"Y-Your favourite what?" Akashi uncharacteristically stuttered.

"Person! Except from maybe Okaa-san…" Kuroko said, thinking more deeply about the subject whilst he continued to pet the kitsune's head as if he were an animal. Had it been anyone else trying to do this, Akashi would have punished them severely, but that was never the case with Kuroko.

"Pahahahaha, I never thought I'd see Akashi looking so adorable." A navy haired nekomata interrupted, sauntering over to where the other two sat.

"Daiki." Akashi growled, somewhat irritated by the sneer in Aomine's voice.

Akashi's expression morphed from a soft smile to a creepier one as he greeted Aomine. Kuroko stepped back so he could look at the new comers.

Aomine froze, pulling a nervous face as he realised his mistake. _Never_ make Akashi sound weak. Luckily for him, the conversation was moved on by his companion.

"I think the flowers suit you Aka-chin." A violet haired mujina said.

"Are these more of Akashi-sama's friends?" Kuroko whispered to Akashi.

"Yes Tetsuya. This is Aomine Daiki and Murasakibara Atushi."

"Who are you talking to Aka-chin?"

"Um, hello." Kuroko spoke up, stepping towards the two yokai and bowing with respect.

"Aaaaaah!" Aomine shouted in surprise. "W-Where did you come from?!"

"I've been here the whole time." Kuroko said bluntly.

"Eh? Why is Aka-chin hanging out with a ghost?"

Noticing Kuroko flinch slightly at the use of 'ghost', Akashi spoke up. "Do not be so rude, either of you. Tetsuya is my human friend." He said sternly. "He made me this lovely crown."

"I know your temper died down a while back, but I didn't realise you'd become this soft Akashi." Aomine said, confused by the kitsune's attitude.

Akashi replied in a dark tone "I am not soft Daiki. I am-"

"Fluffy?" Kuroko chirped in. Aomine burst out laughing while Akashi made eye contact with the kid, looking quite annoyed.

Kuroko, realising he must have said something wrong, looked away from the fox's gaze, refusing to make eye contact. Akashi noticed the hints of upsetness in Kuroko's body language and sighed before ruffling the boy's hair fondly.

"Seems like you must have a soft spot for someone Aka-chin." The purple haired yokai observed.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Akashi asked, trying to change the subject.

"Kise-chin asked us all to meet here."

"Something about wanting us to all hang out together again." Aomine added.

"I see. Well I suppose it would be nice for us all to see each other again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>  I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Just so you know, whilst chapters may not be very long I'm planning to update this once or twice a week depending on how busy I am.
> 
> **Next chapter:** Hide and Seek


	3. Hide and Seek

**Chapter 3 – Hide and Seek**

_4 years later_

In the end, Kuroko actually had grown quite fond of all of the Generation of Miracles, even despite some of their more annoying tendencies.

Kuroko was 12 years old now and he still went out to visit Akashi as well as the rest of his yokai friends. Though sadly he was unable to go as often as he used to as he had to learn more about herbology and medicine with his mother in order to take care of the ill and the injured in the village. Akashi would have gladly entered the village to assist with the healing but he was still hated by all of the humans but Kuroko and his mother. In addition, a barrier currently surrounded the settlement and prevented any yokai from entering.

This afternoon, Kuroko decided to continue with a project he had recently started. He was mapping the large forest that his village was settled in and making note of where all the herbs he came across grew. His yokai friends often accompanied him and helped him in drawing out the map, marking all the significant landmarks.

"You've nearly finished this entire eastern section, well done Tetsuya." Akashi praised.

"Thank you Akashi-sama, but there is still a lot left for me to explore before it is finished."

Akashi was rather impressed when Kuroko had told him about his plan and had quickly offered his assistance in the making of the map.

The fox had enjoyed watching the boy grow up these past few years. He'd definitely matured a lot since their first meeting. No more running up to him shouting 'Akashi-sama!' before diving into his tails or catching him in a crushing hug. But he still showed his affections to red-head, just in more subtle ways – like the small smiles he'd give him or the gifts he brought.

"Aw, Tetsuyacchi! Why don't we play rather than walking around all day?" A certain golden haired inugami asked. Midorima sighed, whenever they brought Kise along to work on Kuroko's project he always ended up being bored and asking to do something fun for a change.

"What Kuroko is trying to achieve is rather advanced and will be a great help to his village Kise. Let him get on with it." Midorima scolded.

"Eh, I think Kise is right. We should take a break from this serious stuff and play around." Aomine defended.

"If Aomine-sama and Kise-sama want a break, I suppose that's okay." Kuroko conceded, folding his map up and packing away his supplies. "What should we play?"

"How about sleeping lions?" Murasakibara suggested.

"That's boring Muraskibaracchi." Kise whined. "Let's play hide and seek."

"Why don't we let Tetsuya pick Ryouta? After all, this is some of his only free time. You can play hide and seek whenever you want." Akashi said.

"I don't mind playing hide and seek if Kise-sama wants to play that."

"Yay! Thank you Tetsuyacchi!"

"Who wants to be the seeker?" Aomine asked.

"I will be." Akashi said, having not been the seeker for quite some time.

"Okay Akashicchi, count to 100 and we'll all go hide!"

All of them knew the rules: no-one was allowed past the river or beyond the villages to the north and east, once caught you had to return to base and if you were not found you had to return to base after half an hour.

The kitsune closed his eyes as the other five went off to hide.

Over a minute later Akashi finished counting. "Ready or not, here I come."

He began heading in the direction of the nearby stream. Barely 10 meters away from the starting point, he found Murasakibara lying asleep on the ground. Akashi poked the giant yokai and said "I found you." Murasakibara just rolled over and mumbled "Okay."

A few minutes later he could hear bickering. _Those idiots, not again._ Akashi groaned internally.

Sure enough, he found Kise and Aomine hiding by a large boulder arguing about who got there first, each trying to shove the other away. "Found you." Akashi said, unimpressed at how easy this game had been so far.

Kise gave a sad look before crying "Aominecchi this is your fault!"

"Eh, this is hardly my fault idiot, you should have left! I found this hiding place first!"

"No I got here before you, so you should have left!"

Akashi left the two to fight it out as he went in search of the remaining two hiders.

Thinking logically, he managed to find where Midorima was hiding. "Shintaro, just because your hair is green doesn't mean I won't be able to see you here." Akashi said, looking at the large, overgrown emerald green bush.

When he was met with silence he began to search through the foliage and soon pulled out Midorima. "I found you."

"How did I do?" Midorima asked, hoping to not have lost miserably.

"Well you've got second place. Though that is not such a difficult task to achieve when you're opponents are Atushi, Ryouta and Daiki."

"I see. So it's only Kuroko left?"

"Correct."

"Good luck finding him. That child could hide in plain sight and not be found."

"You're not wrong, but I like to think I've had some practice noticing him."

With that Akashi continued looking for the teal-head.

He was unsuccessful.

The kitsune returned to the starting area once time was up. However when he arrived Kuroko wasn't there.

"Akashi couldn't find Tetsu either? So much for always winning." Aomine sneered upon seeing the red-head returning alone.

"I don't know why you're looking so cocky Daiki, I found you in less than 5 minutes." Akashi teased, taking joy in the way Aomine's smirk morphed into a grumpy face. "Anyway, is Tetsuya not back yet?"

"I'm right here." A blunt voice said.

All five yokai were surprised, some of them even jumping at the revelation, seeing Kuroko behind them.

"Damn, don't sneak up on us Tetsu! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I've already told you before Daiki, don't use such crude language around Tetsuya." Akashi said irately. He then turned to Kuroko, his expression softening. "Congratulations on winning Tetsuya."

"Thank you Akashi-sama. You actually almost found me…but I managed to stay super quiet so you left." Kuroko said proudly.

"Kuroko, didn't you tell your mother you'd be home soon?" Midorima reminded the kid.

The sky-blue eyed boy's smile waned as he realised that the tanuki was correct, but his smile returned quickly as he thanked his friends. "Thank you for playing with me and keeping me safe! I'm sure I will see you all soon." Kuroko said, before going up to Akashi and giving him a hug. "Bye Akashi-sama."

"Goodbye Tetsuya. Until next time."

* * *

_2 years later_

Dusk was settling over the mid-autumn forest as Akashi settled in for the night in his cave. Earlier that day he had met up with Kuroko alone and the teenager had taught him how to make a herbal medicine that could ease a fever. Whilst the knowledge was useless to Akashi as he had healing powers, he'd admired Kuroko's determination to successfully make the concoction.

_8 years now…_ Akashi thought. _8 years since I met Tetsuya._ Time had passed all too quickly. The child who used to play with his tails was growing into a sensible, intelligent young man and Akashi could not help but fear how much he was going to change. Perhaps he would grow apart from his yokai friends in favour of pursuing human relationships.

The red-head shook his head to try and clear his mind. He blew out the lantern by his bed before curling up in his den to sleep, choosing to have an early night.

But the kitsune just couldn't sleep, a bad feeling growing in his mind. After fidgeting in his bed for a while he got up and decided to go for a walk, however when he went to the entrance of his cave he noticed something strange. To the east of his cave he could see large billows of smoke and a faint glow in the distance. In the east…it wasn't far from Akashi's home, the only place it could be was…

Akashi took off running to the Kiseki village. _Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong._ He chanted in his head.

For once in his life, Akashi was distraught to find that he was right.

When he arrived at the border of the Kiseki village he saw carnage. The community building was burning in a fiery blaze that was spreading to some of the houses. The dead and the dying could be seen on the dirt paths.

The ones responsible were still pillaging the village, still raiding the houses and beating the people they found to death.

Akashi panicked.

He ran towards where Kuroko had told him his house was.

_"It's the little one on the edge of the forest just over there."_ Kuroko had said as he had pointed to it.

But before he could get there he was blocked. Blocked by a barrier that was there because of _him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Sorry about the cliffhanger.
> 
> Thanks to all of those who left feedback! I'm glad people are enjoying this story! And of course, thanks to everyone who is reading this too ^_^
> 
> **Next chapter:** Mother


	4. Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** I'm going to apologise for this chapter in advance.

**Chapter 4 – Mother**

_When Akashi first awoke to the world, it was to a beautiful lush forest on a sun-filled day. His mother cooed to him how happy she was and how handsome he was._

_She was not technically his mother in the biological sense of course, as he himself was born from the strong emotions of the people and the animals of this forest, but she had found him when he came into being and she decided to take care of the young yokai._

_Her name was Shiori and she, like himself, was a kitsune, but whilst Akashi had burning red hair she had a more subtle brown colouring._

_For the first few decades of his immortal life, he stayed with his mother, learning about the world and his supernatural abilities. It didn't take Shiori long to realise what amazing natural talent Akashi possessed and very soon the younger's power surpassed her own._

_She loved humans. He could tell by the sparkle in her eyes whenever she spoke of them. She soon began taking him to the humans' villages so that he could observe them and learn about them first-hand._

_Shiori's favourite village of all was the Kiseki village. Its people welcomed her and Akashi into their community, treating them with the utmost respect. The people there were kind-hearted and generous unlike some of the other greedy villages they had journeyed to._

_Soon, Akashi met more yokai who came across the area. Some were cruel, others were weak and boring however his path did cross with that of four rather intriguing yokais' paths. Though some of them seemed frustrating at first, he grew fond of them and they soon formed a friendship group._

_When Akashi noticed the dangers faced by the humans, he asked his friends to help him keep watch over the village of Kiseki, protecting it from the evil yokai that roamed the woods and the bandits and raiders that sought to pillage the settlement._

_The group soon became known as the Generation of Miracles and the people of Kiseki came to worship them, leaving them offerings of thanks to a small shrine dedicated to the strong yokai._

_Akashi's life was blissful._

_Blissful…until one dark eve when Shiori's love for humans became her undoing._

_The people of the southern village of Shi had clearly been uncomfortable with the yokai's presence, some even going as far as to shout curses at them, so the two kitsune had left the place quickly and returned to the forest._

_That evening, Akashi was sat talking with Midorima by a large tree when he heard the screams._

_The red-head immediately took off running towards the source of the sound, but he was too late. A horde of Shi villagers stood around the broken, bloodied corpse of Akashi's beloved mother, hanging by her arms from a tree branch with no evidence to show that she even tried to fight back._

_That's when Akashi's mind broke._

_He saw red, nothing could stop him as he murdered every human present. Midorima arrived only to find Akashi in a sea of blood and bodies. The vile and brutal scene was a sight that would never leave Midorima's nor Akashi's mind._

_It didn't end there. Akashi changed that day. He became cold and distant, isolating himself from his friends. But what's worse was, the killing did not end on that night._

_On the first year anniversary of Shiori's murder, Akashi went to Shi and slaughtered every last man, woman and child left in the village as he released the anger that had been growing within him. Only when the settlement was bathed in blood and fire was Akashi's blood lust fulfilled. Only then did he realise what he had done and returned to himself._

_Was it right? They had killed his peaceful, loving mother who would never hurt anyone. He was simply taking revenge, right? But his friends began to keep their distance as they believed he went too far. In time Akashi came to agree with them. Not all of those humans were guilty, and even if they were, murder was not necessarily the answer. But the pure rage he had felt had taken over his actions and his darker side had run wild._

_He began to observe the human villages from afar again, as he did so he came to realise that his cruel actions had had further consequences. Every human and yokai in this woodlands had heard of the dreadful things he had done and had become fearful of him._

_Even when he returned to the village of Kiseki he noticed the removal of the small shrine that had been placed in his honour on the outskirts of the village. When he tried to enter Kiseki in order to apologise for his horrific actions, he discovered an anti-yokai barrier had been cast around the village, likely by the powerful priest he had once befriended._

_He had been cut off from the world, from everything he had ever held dear._

* * *

Kuroko was sat reading in his room when his mother burst in.

"Okaa-san? What's wrong?"

"Tetsuya hurry up!" She said, clearly scared, pulling him up and dragging him towards his wardrobe.

"What's going on Okaa-san?" Kuroko asked, getting more worried by the second.

She opened the doors to the wardrobe and shoved him in before saying "You need to stay in here okay. Unless _you_ are in danger, promise me you'll stay in here."

"Okaa-san…" Kuroko trailed looking into her frightened eyes.

"Tetsuya, promise me."

"Okay."

She held onto his head and gave him multiple kisses to the forehead before whispering. "I love you."

"I love you too Okaa-san." Kuroko stopped questioning her actions when he saw the emotion and tears in her eyes. She then pulled herself away and closed the doors of the wardrobe and left the room.

He simply sat there for what felt like an eternity, sitting in silence amongst his clothes.

His ears began to pick up on the sounds of the violence that was happening outside. There was a lot of shouting and screams and…

Suddenly he heard the distinct sound of the front door slamming open.

Heavy footsteps echoed on the floorboards and then there was a scuffle soon followed by a booming male voice.

"Kill her and take everything of value."

_No..._

_Please no._ Kuroko thought.

They were going to kill her, his mother.

He needed to do something, but she told him to stay here. He promised her…

Kuroko shook in fear but remained silent. The sound of punches hit Kuroko's mind as if it were himself being hit.

A feminine scream followed by a loud thud was heard before the shuffling of feet. "Let's see what this bitch had hiding around the house."

 _Akashi-sama, please help, please._ Kuroko prayed. They were going to find him. They were going to…they'd already…

"There's nothing but herbs, flowers and books in here." A muffled voice grumbled. "I doubt there's anything of any value in here let's try another one.

After hearing them leave, Kuroko slowly crawled out of the closet and into the living room. It was there that he was met with the sight of his mother lying on the sheepskin rug, blood pouring from her chest.

"O-Okaa-s-san…" Kuroko choked out.

He shuffled over to her and knelt by her side. "Okaa-san!" He cried as he leant down to hold her. "Okaa-san wake up, please! Please wake up!" Tears ran down his face and fell onto her body. "Please don't leave me." His body was raked with shivers as he sobbed and begged her to come back to him. He knew it was too late but he couldn't accept it, he wouldn't.

The boy didn't even notice the creaking of the floorboard behind him before he was stabbed through the chest.

* * *

Akashi was angry.

He was angry at the raiders destroying the village his mother once cherished. He was angry at the priest who had cast the spell that created this barrier. But most of all, he was furious with himself and his own past mistakes.

 _Tetsuya could be dying and I can't do a damn thing!_ He screamed internally, slamming a fist to the barrier. At the contact, the air glimmered blue showing where the barrier was. _He could already be…_

The kitsune raised his clenched fist again and brought it down roughly to hit the barrier again, as if physical force could break it. When his fist made contact with nothing however, Akashi thanked every god he could think of. He ran through where he previously could not and found that the barrier had gone. Akashi didn't pause to question why it was gone, he had more important things to think about than that right now.

Every bandit he came across was immediately burnt to a crisp by Akashi's powers as he made haste towards Kuroko's house.

He found it with the door wide open. Up the steps he hopped before entering the living room. An almost inaudible sound of hurt escaped Akashi as his heart dropped. In front of him was the teal haired boy curled up on his side next to his mother, blood leaking out of them both and soaking into the rug.

"Tetsuya, please…" he said as he knelt, praying that he was still alive.

The boy made a small grunt. "H-help…Okaa-s-san." He panted with a croaky voice.

Whilst Akashi understood the boy's sentiment, Kuroko was his priority. And Akashi knew that if he could ask the boy's mother she would want him to save Kuroko first anyway. Akashi lowered his hand to the right side of Kuroko's chest and concentrated all his focus and energy on healing the human's wound.

After the gash in Kuroko's chest was healed, Akashi gave the boy's mother a quick once over. He looked down in despair when he confirms his assumption. "I'm sorry Tetsuya…She's gone." He whispered.

"No…please…please." Kuroko sobbed. Akashi closed his eyes for a moment as he felt sympathetic for the boy. He then wrapped his arms around the kid and lifted him up before running out of the house.

It appeared that the bandits had run away already, probably due to the terror Akashi had brought on his entry.

After a brief check for other possible survivors, he took off, sprinting back into the woods and towards his cave by the river, not wanting to keep Kuroko in this hell for any longer.

When they arrived he sat down on his bed and hugged the boy close in an attempt to soothe the teal-head.

Kuroko sobbed into his chest all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback! I'm really sorry this chapter was not fluff like the other chapters but I hope you still liked it.
> 
>  **Next chapter:** Puppy


	5. Puppy

**Chapter 5 – Puppy**

"Akashicchi!" Kise shouted, though not in his usual happy, lively tone.

"Ryouta, Shintaro." Akashi acknowledged as the two yokai walked towards him. The kitsune was sat by the river, not too far from his cave, staring into the rippling current of water.

"Akashi, we heard what happened to Kiseki last night… Is Ku-" Midorima started.

"Tetsuya is sleeping in my bed. He passed out from exhaustion about an hour or so ago." He deadpanned.

"What happened?" Kise asked in a quiet voice.

"They killed everyone in the village and stole anything they viewed as valuable. The barrier must have faded once the priest who casted it died. I managed to get to Tetsuya before he bled out." Akashi took a deep breathe. If Midorima hadn't known any better he would have said the fox looked shaken. "I found him by his mother. But I was…I was too late to save her." Akashi looked down at the ground now, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Akashicchi…"

"Akashi-sama!" A panicked voice shouted, echoing from the cave.

Akashi, as if snapped out of a trance, picked up his gaze and stood up before running into to the cave. "Tetsuya!" Upon seeing the frightened boy, tears yet again staining his face he said "It's okay I'm here."

Outside, Midorima instructed Kise not to interrupt the two. "Let Akashi deal with this Kise." The blond looked conflicted but ultimately came to the conclusion that Midorima was correct.

"Akashi-sama." Kuroko sobbed as the red-head wrapped him into a hug.

"Ssssh, Tetsuya. It's okay."

"Please don't leave me." The boy murmured into Akashi's chest, clutching onto the kitsune's robes.

Akashi noticed that the kid was shaking. em>He's scared…scared that I'm going to leave?

" _Please._ " The uncharacteristic emotion in Kuroko's voice broke Akashi's heart. Instinctively, Akashi brought his tails up to surround the boy in a protective, fluffy shield.

"I will never leave you Tetsuya. I promise you, you will never be without me unless you ask to be so. Do you understand me?"

The boy sniffed before replying. "Yes."

"You can live with me from now on. It's going to be okay Tetsuya." Akashi cooed.

"I miss Okaa-san." Kuroko cried.

"I know Tetsuya. I know." Akashi said sympathetically.

"I'm scared."

"You're safe now. I will protect you always." Akashi promised, burying his face in the teal locks on Kuroko's head and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"We have some visitors that wanted to check on you Tetsuya. Shintaro and Ryouta. Do you want to see them?"

Kuroko shook his head, not making eye contact with Akashi.

"Why not?"

"I don't want them to see me crying."

"Oh? But it's okay for me to see you cry?"

"Akashi-sama is different." Kuroko said, snuggling further into Akashi's warmth, the call of sleep beckoning him once again.

The two stayed stood like that for a few minutes before Akashi decided that Kuroko needed to lie down if he was going to sleep. He carefully picked the human up and placed him back in bed.

"Psssst. Akashicchi." Kise whispered, poking his head around the corner of the cave's entrance.

"What do you want Ryouta?" Akashi asked walking over to the dog yokai.

"How is Kurokocchi?"

"He's asleep again."

"Aw~ I wanted to come cheer him up." Kise whined.

"I doubt he'd be in the mood for that Kise." Midorima scolded in a hushed voice. "His mother died just last night."

Kise looked upset by the tankuki's words. "I know but…" Kise trailed off.

"Try coming back in a week or so. Bring Daiki and Atushi with you. Maybe he'll be feeling more open to visitors then." Akashi suggested.

* * *

_1 week later_

The sky was clouded over with a dull grey blanket. Today was the first time Akashi had dragged Kuroko beyond the area of his cave since the night he had taken him away from Kiseki.

"Akashi-sama, why are we going out today? It looks like it's going to rain." Kuroko criticised.

"I don't remember you ever complaining about the rain before Tetsuya. And I told you, we're going to meet the others."

Kuroko remained silent after the reply, walking lightly next to Akashi as they made their way through the forest of autumn trees and the crunchy leaves on the ground. This past week Kuroko had barely spoken and he never asked for anything. Akashi was having to make sure to give him a suitable amount of food as otherwise Kuroko probably would have starved to death by now.

The two eventually came across the other four yokai, although Kuroko also noticed another yokai…

"Tetsuyacchi!" Kise greeted, running over to hug the kid. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"Hello Kise-sama." Kuroko said, gingerly wrapping his arms around the inugami in return, trying to remain polite even when he wasn't really in the mood for socialising.

"Ah so this is the Kuroko Tetsuya I've heard so much about!" And pink haired nekomata said. Kuroko had never met this girl before, but she was clearly friendly with the Generation of Miracles.

"Um…Who are you?" Kuroko asked curiously.

"I'm Momoi Satsuki! I'm a nekomata like this idiot here" She answered, pointing to Aomine who was stood next to her.

"It's nice to meet you Momoi-sama." Kuroko said, bowing as he had when he had met the other yokai for the first time.

"Tetsu-kun, you're so cute!" She said before giving the boy a big, squeezing hug.

"Satsuki you're going to suffocate him if you keep doing that, get off him." Aomine complained, trying to pry the woman off of Kuroko. She soon let go giving a quiet apology to the human.

"How about we play a game?" Kise suggested.

Akashi and Midorima both opted out in favour of sitting down to talk about recent activities whilst Murasakibara decided that he'd rather sit around and eat for a bit, leaving only Kise, Momoi, Aomine and Kuroko willing to play.

"What shall we play Ki-chan?"

"Hmmmm…Does Tetsuyacchi have any ideas?"

Kuroko simply shook his head in response.

"Howabout we play that game where we all have to go looking for a specific flower and the first person who gets back here with it wins?" Aomine suggested, even though he knew Kuroko would have the advantage.

"Great idea Aominecchi!"

And so the four set out to play their game.

Meanwhile, Akashi and Midorima sat chatting.

"It's starting to get much colder now." Akashi stated.

"It's not exactly surprising. Winter will be here soon." Midorima responded before pausing. "Is he getting any better?" He asked, his voice lowering as he looked over to where he had last seen Kuroko wandering off.

"A bit, but he's not much better. I only just about convinced him to get up and come out with me today."

"I see. Well I'm sure he'll improve as time goes on. He's strong and you of all people should know that time can help you clear your head." Midorima said.

"I know. I just wish I could help him more."

"You're doing plenty Akashi. And I'm sure Kuroko appreciates your help greatly."

Akashi hummed in agreement, though he didn't sound particularly convinced.

"Have you heard about what the surviving bandits have done?" Midorima asked.

"No, I've been out of the loop this past week. What's happened?"

"Apparently your appearance at Kiseki that night frightened them. They're probably worried you'll ruin their plans of pillaging other settlements."

"Good." Akashi said bitterly.

"I'm not so sure it is. They've started spreading rumours that it was you who killed everyone in Kiseki and burnt everything down."

Akashi turned to look at Midorima seriously. "What?"

"I believe that they're acting under the hope of setting people against you even more, perhaps some of them will even come looking to kill you in the hopes of protecting the remaining villages."

Akashi clucked his tongue. "Damn humans will believe anything."

"Well, it's not like they don't have reason to be…suspicious of you Akashi. After what happened all that time ago." Midorima said grimly.

That stung the kitsune, but he knew Midorima was right. He _had_ wiped out an entire village before and that would stain his mind and reputation forever.

"I suppose you're correct Shintaro." He conceded with an exhale.

* * *

Kuroko was out in the forest searching for the snowdrop flower that Momoi had suggested they look for.

He was scanning the sea of autumn reds and browns mixed with the green of the grass when he noticed a peculiar spot of black and white. He quietly walked up to the object that was sat by a tree.

When he accidentally broke a twig with his foot he was startled to see the thing move, a head turning to look at him with startling blue eyes. That's when Kuroko realised that what he was looking at was a puppy.

"Arf!" It barked at him, panting heavily as if it were excited. The dog then bounded over to him before lifting it's forelegs onto Kuroko's leg, as it scrambled to get the boy's attention. In return, Kuroko crouched down and began petting the puppy.

"Hello boy. Are you lost?" Kuroko asked, as if he were going to get an actual answer. Kuroko began to wonder if the small dog had perhaps been abandoned. There was no indication that the dog belonged to anyone and the nearest village was a sizeable distance away from where Kuroko currently was.

The dog continued to yap joyfully, nuzzling into the warmth of Kuroko's hand as his tail wagged happily. Kuroko picked up the puppy, hugging him close. "I'm sure Akashi-sama wouldn't mind having an extra bit of company…"

* * *

When Kuroko returned, the rainbow haired friends were surprised to see a fluff ball in his arms.

"Eh, Kuro-chin what's that?"

"I found a puppy in the woods. He was all by himself…" Kuroko said. Akashi could tell by the way Kuroko was looking at the small dog in his hands where this conversation was going.

"Aw! A puppy!" Both Kise and Momoi squealed, running up to Kuroko to get a good look at the dog.

Kuroko lifted up the dog for them to see him better. That's when the blond and the fuscia head stopped their flailing and just stared. They stared at the eyes. The eyes that looked just like…

Kise let out a shout. "H-He has the s-same eyes as-"

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi finished.

The rest of the group walked over to investigate their reaction. Upon seeing the big, round, baby-blue eyes of the dog they all immediately agreed that the dog should be called Tetsuya Nigou.

"Does he have an owner Tetsu-kun?" Momoi inquired.

"It doesn't look like it." Kuroko replied, checking the dog over for a collar or some form of identification.

"We can't leave him out here in the winter, he'll freeze to death!" Kise said.

"Please may we keep him Akashi-sama?" Kuroko asked innocently.

In any other situation, Akashi would have said no. He hated disobedient dogs, and with this puppy there was no telling whether it would listen to commands or allow Akashi or Kuroko to train it. But with both Kuroko and Nigou looking at him with _those_ pouting eyes and in light of recent events, Akashi could hardly reject the kid's request.

"Fine. But you have to take care of him. He will be predominantly your responsibility Tetsuya."

"Yay!" Kise and Momoi cheered.

"Thank you Akashi-sama." Kuroko said, and for the first time in over a week, Akashi saw a tiny smile grow on the boy's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>  **Next chapter:** Stranger Danger


	6. Stranger Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:**  
>  So I accidentally posted the last chapter with the wrong updated date, so if you missed that chapter make sure to read it before continuing :')

**Chapter 6 – Stranger Danger**

A handful of months had passed since Kuroko found Nigou and things were gradually starting to get better again.

Kuroko started smiling more. He was actually functioning as a person again, often going on outings with Akashi and the other yokai.

Akashi had noticed that the dog seemed to be helping the boy cope somewhat, providing him with a playful companion to take care of and snuggle with when he was sad. In some ways it surprised Akashi how responsible Kuroko was being with the dog – always making sure he was well fed and exercised. Not to mention, the training was going well. The dog was doing a good job of obeying both Akashi's and Kuroko's orders, though he liked to defy Kise and Midorima but Akashi didn't mind that too much.

It was a relatively warm afternoon when Akashi and Aomine were sat watching the teal-head run around, playing fetch with Nigou. Aomine was observing the kitsune who was looking at how Nigou bounded back to the boy, pouncing on him. The navy-head perceived Akashi's expression and reaction to the kid's interaction with the dog.

"Hey Akashi, are you jealous of Nigou?" Aomine asked, smirking at the idea.

The red haired fox glared at the nekomata. "I am not jealous." Akashi stated, but Aomine was not convinced.

"Oh really? I haven't seen you pull that face since seeing you watch your mother interact with humans." Aomine teased.

"Shut up Daiki."

"Akashi-sama! Catch!" Kuroko called from in front of them.

The next thing Akashi knew was that a stick was flying at him. He easily caught it, looking to Kuroko in victory, however the minor achievement was negated by the puppy that then bounded onto the kitsune, nearly knocking him over.

"Arf! Arf!" Nigou barked as he jumped, trying to bite the stick out of Akashi's hands, showing no care for the fox he had tackled.

Perhaps Akashi needed to work on the dog's training some more…

* * *

One day, the kitsune and the human came across an injured inugami in the woods. Akashi had never met the person and immediately took a disliking to a stranger being in his forest, but Kuroko was more compassionate, and thus Akashi tried to follow his example, though he did so warily.

"Ah, sorry to intrude if this is your territory! I was simply passing through and fell out of the tree while I was sleeping, hence the broken leg." The foreigner said nervously, having noticed Akashi's protective, suspicious look. The dog yokai was quite tall and had brown hair with matching ears and shaggy tail.

"Can you heal his leg Akashi-sama?" Kuroko asked looking up to Akashi.

"I suppose I can." Akashi replied, sounding inconvenienced.

The inugami gulped. "A-A-Akashi-sama?! Y-y-you're him! The e-evil k-kk-kitsune!" He said, clearly afraid of the red-head.

"Akashi-sama isn't evil stranger-sama." Kuroko defended, frowning at the outsider.

Akashi didn't bother trying to argue his case to the yokai, instead he just got on with healing the injury. "If you have no business here, it would be best for you to move on." He stated icily.

The inugami's leg had now completely recovered, so he quickly stood, giving a small bow and mumbled a 'thank you' before running off.

The interaction had made Akashi uncomfortable, even though it was hardly something he was unused to.

Meanwhile Kuroko had been saddened by the scene. Ever since he had been born, he'd always heard rumours of the cruel and powerful nine-tailed kitsune, Akashi Seijuro, and how he was merciless and would kill humans without remorse. But as a child, he had doubted their words. Particularly because his mother never seemed to believe them. She was cautious of the kitsune, but that was simply because to her he was an unknown. When Kuroko had stumbled upon the fluffy tails of the fox yokai, his instincts had told him that he didn't need to be fearful, and his instincts had turned out to be correct. Sure, Akashi had been a bit cold to start with, but it hadn't taken the boy long to penetrate the walls Akashi had built up around himself. The kitsune had soon shown his more kind-hearted and playful side.

"Akashi-sama?" Kuroko whispered as the two began walking back home. Nigou quietly trotting alongside them.

"Hmm?" Akashi hummed.

"Why is everyone so afraid of you?"

It was a question that was bound to come up one day, and in all honesty Akashi was surprised it had taken this long for the child to ask it.

"That's the question isn't Tetsuya." Akashi sighed. He didn't want to answer this. Not now when everything was just starting to get better. A brief silence passed. "I did some very bad things a long time ago. Unforgivable things."

Kuroko could easily read Akashi's self-loathing for whatever he'd done, and his fear of being hated. "You have always been so kind to me Akashi-sama. If you think I would hate you for whatever you did in the past to make everyone afraid of you, I won't. I will continue to love Akashi-sama."

The word 'love' made Akashi flinch. "Some things cannot be so easily forgiven Tetsuya."

"Okaa-san always said that anyone can be forgiven if they are truly sorry for what they did." Kuroko said with a creased brow. "Are you sorry for what you did?"

Akashi inhaled deeply. "Unbelievably so."

"Well then. I forgive Akashi-sama."

"Tetsuya, I _killed_ people. _Innocent_ people." Akashi almost hissed, his voice laced with self-disgust.

Kuroko winced at Akashi's words and tone. "I know…but…Akashi-sama is different now. I know you would never hurt me or anyone who didn't deserve it."

"You're too damn stubborn and trusting Tetsuya." Akashi replied with a sigh.

"I know." Kuroko quipped with the hint of a smile edging onto his lips. He'd won this disagreement, as he often did when it came to Akashi or any of his other yokai friends for that matter. After another moment of silence, Kuroko spoke up again. "Why did you do it?"

The fox exhaled and momentarily closed his eyes. "I was angry. Some humans…they…they murdered someone I loved dearly. I couldn't think straight, I just acted. It took me a long time to realise how horrific my actions had been."

Kuroko frowned. "That was the past. I'm not going to say that it's okay that you killed those people, but I love Akashi-sama and I don't believe that you're evil, no matter what everyone else says."

"I really don't deserve to have someone like you." Akashi said as Kuroko brought a hand up to hold his own.

* * *

The next morning, Kuroko rolled out of his bed, careful as to not disturb Nigou sleeping at the foot of the covers. Akashi had given Kuroko his own little space in the cave, complete with a bed and blankets that was just across from Akashi's own sleeping quarters. The teal-head looked around blearily, yawning and stretching before he began to make his way to the simplistic kitchen.

Normally, Akashi was the first to get out of bed and would have already prepared breakfast for the two, but today was different. The fox was still huddled in the blankets on his bed, fast asleep. So, Kuroko began to make a basic breakfast. Whilst his culinary skills were not amazing, they were not bad either.

Soon, Kuroko was walking back into the bedroom of the cave with two bowls of food. He was surprised to see that Akashi was still sleeping.

"Akashi-sama? I've made breakfast for you." Kuroko said, gently tapping the kitsune's shoulder.

When the only response he got was a quiet, discomforted groan, Kuroko's brow furrowed. Akashi was definitely acting out of character. "Akashi-sama? Are you okay?" Kuroko asked with an edge of concern in his voice.

When Akashi still did not provide any verbal answer, Kuroko put the bowls down on the side table and raised the back of his hand, placing it gently on the fox's forehead. It was then that he felt how hot the kitsune's skin was. _He has a fever…_ Kuroko thought with a grimace.

He quickly ran over to his bed and pulled out his box of medicinal herbs and concoctions which he stored under his bed. He easily found the one designed to ease fevers and took it over to Akashi, force feeding it to him. Afterwards, Kuroko grabbed a cloth and wet it before placing it on the fox yokai's forehead. He then sat on the floor by Akashi's side and waited for the medicine to take effect.

Several minutes later, Akashi began to stir, his eyes opening lazily. "Tetsuya...what's wrong-" Akashi began before gasping in pain as he tried to sit up.

"You should rest Akashi-sama, I think you're ill or something."

"I'm not ill. Akashi Seijuro does not get ill."

Kuroko just gave him an unimpressed stare. "Are you sure about that? Because Akashi-sama definitely has a temperature and it seems he can't even get out of bed."

Akashi huffed, lying back down in his bed.

"I didn't think yokai could get ill…" Kuroko said confusedly.

"That's not entirely wrong. We can't catch human illnesses. But there are some diseases that affect yokai exclusively…" As Akashi spoke he realised how he must have become sick. "That damn inugami from yesterday." He growled. "I knew we shouldn't have gone near him."

"What's done is done. We should concentrate on making you feel better. Can you heal yourself?"

Akashi shook his head, which he immediately regretted as a headache began to pulse through his brain. "When yokai become ill they lose their supernatural abilities. I'm _almost_ as weak as you right now." Akashi said, trying to tease the boy towards the end of his explanation.

"That's not very nice Akashi-sama. You should be nicer to me seeing as I'm the one who's going to have to take care of you." Kuroko said bluntly. "Although…Can I get Midorima-sama to come help? He has healing abilities too right?"

"I'd only make him ill too." Akashi groaned, resigning himself to his fate. "And you're probably carrying the illness as well, just asymptomatically. If you go near another yokai you'll only spread it further."

Kuroko looked concerned. "How long is it going to last?"

"It varies. It may be a few weeks, but sometimes it can last for a few years or even a decade." For yokai, that wasn't a particularly long time as they were able to live for centuries, but to Kuroko? That would feel like an eternity.

"Is there any sort of medicine that might help you recover more quickly?"

"Not that I know of." Akashi murmured. In all honesty, he just wanted to sleep right now, but he needed to inform Kuroko about the issue. Kuroko could tell from the expression on the kitsune's face that he was uncomfortable and so instructed him to eat what he could of the breakfast and then get some rest.

The idea that Akashi could be ill for _years_ frightened Kuroko. _I need to do something…_ But what could he do? Sure, he had skills in creating medicine and herbal remedies, but he knew nothing about yokai illnesses. For all he knew, their biology was completely different. _Although the drink for easing a fever seemed to work…_

Whilst considering his options, he came to the conclusion that he should try going to the capital city, where the castle was. He'd often heard that the medicinal practices there were far more advanced and so maybe even a cure for yokai could be found there.

Kuroko began to pack a small bag of supplies – everything he would need for travelling for a few days. He also prepared some meals for Akashi whilst he would be gone. Once he was done, he sat by the yokai's bed and read a book as he waited for the kitsune to wake up so he could notify him of his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>  Thanks to all of you readers as always. I hope everything is going well for you all ^_^
> 
> **Next chapter:** Quest


	7. Quest

**Chapter 7 – Quest**

"No." Akashi said firmly.

"But Akashi-sama, you're not well and this is the only way I can think of to help you-"

"No. I'll recover eventually. It's too dangerous for you to travel all the way to the city just so you _might_ find something to cure me Tetsuya."

"I don't care! I have to help Akashi-sama." Kuroko said, raising his voice.

"Tetsuya, I don't want you to get hurt. Especially not just to help me." Akashi said more softly.

"Well I'm going. And seeing as you can barely sit up to eat, you can't stop me." Kuroko decided stubbornly.

Akashi sighed, his brow furrowed. The blue haired boy was right. There was very little the kitsune could actually do to stop him in his current condition. "At least take Nigou with you then, and my dagger. If you're not back in five days, I swear to God I'm going to drag myself out of this cave and crawl after you."

Kuroko smiled at the comment. "Okay. I promise I'll be back within five days. It shouldn't take more than a day or two to get there anyway." The human said before leaning down to give Akashi a kiss on the cheek and pull him into a gentle hug.

"Just stay safe Tetsuya." The kitsune whispered.

"You too Akashi-sama."

* * *

The first day of walking was rather uneventful. The sky had been clear and sunny, though the air had been bitterly cold. Luckily, Kuroko had a warm fur coat that he wore when he was travelling.

As the sun was sinking closer and closer to the horizon, Kuroko started to set up small campsite, making a small campfire and placing his bed roll on the ground by a tree. After a quick meal, Kuroko curled up under his blanket as the fire began to dim and the world around him was swallowed in darkness. Nigou scampered over to him, nuzzling alongside the boy in an attempt to keep both of them warm on the frosty night.

The next day, he awoke as the sun's beams bathed the forest around him. He continued the lengthy journey to the city.

He was taking a short break from the walking when Nigou started barking behind him and growling as if giving someone a warning. The dog's actions were followed by a manly scream and the sound of someone falling over.

Kuroko turned around hastily, standing up and pulling out the dagger Akashi had insisted he take with him in case he needed to defend himself. When Kuroko's eyes met the burgundy ones of the stranger, said stranger quickly raised his hands in surrender.

"Woah, woah! I'm not gunna hurt you I just wanted to ask you a question!" The newcomer claimed.

"Then why were you sneaking up on me?" Kuroko asked sceptically.

"I was…I just wanted to observe whether you were friendly or not. I swear." The stranger defended.

Kuroko eyed the man suspiciously in silence. He looked to be in his late 20's and had tousled, dual red coloured hair.

"Please…I lost my map and supplies to some damn bandits and I have no idea which way the castle is in. I just need some directions and I'll be on my way." The man pleaded, backing away from Nigou as the puppy attempted to approach him.

"I was heading towards the castle anyway. I have business in town." Kuroko informed him, lowering his knife.

"Oh, what is a kid like you doing heading into the big city?"

"I'm looking for some medicine for a friend of mine. Why are you going there?"

"Ah, I live and work there. I was just out visiting my parents from the old village I used to live in." The guy said with a smile. "What's your name anyway kid?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya." The boy mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Kuroko. I'm Kagami Taiga." The man said with a friendly smile. "How about we travel together? You'll be much safer with a big strong guy like me protecting you." Kagami said, flexing an arm and pulling a smug expression.

"Didn't you say you were attacked by bandits? And that they stole everything you had?" Kuroko said bluntly.

The man's face dropped and he quickly became flustered. "Er, well yeah, but there were more than usual okay!"

Kuroko scoffed before speaking. "I suppose we may as well travel together Kagami-san. We're not that far from the city now anyway."

* * *

A few hours later the two arrived at the vibrant capital.

"There's so many people." Kuroko gaped in awe of the city, the large castle visible in the distance.

Kagami looked at the kid noticing his amazement and laughed. "Have you ever been anywhere except for a village?"

Kuroko shook his head continuing to stare around at all the different buildings and stalls and people. "There's so much…" Kuroko mumbled.

"So how exactly were you planning on finding a doctor to help out your friend?"

The question reminded Kuroko of _why_ he was here. _I need to find something to help Akashi-sama…_ But how was he going to do that? He hadn't expected the metropolis to be quite so huge. "Ummm…"

"You have no idea where to start do you kid?"

"I'm sure I'll figure something out…"

Kagami sighed. "Idiot." He said, lightly slapping the back of the boy's head with his hand. "You're in luck anyway. I've got a good friend who makes medicinal remedies. He's one of the best around so I'm sure he can help you out somehow. Come on, I'll take you to his place."

Kuroko smiled a bit. "Thank you Kagami-san." He said with a gratuitous bow.

* * *

"Yo, Tatsuya! I've got a customer for you." Kagami called as he entered the store with Kuroko following behind him with Nigou in his arms.

"Ah, Taiga! And who is this?" He asked, looking down at the blue haired boy.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." Kagami answered on Kuroko's behalf. "He needs something to help his friend."

"I see. What is wrong with your friend Kuroko-kun?"

Kuroko looked nervous. He wasn't entirely sure how the people in this city felt about yokai. He had heard that there was a mixture of opinions – some hated them, some loved them and some were indifferent.

"My friend, he's a kitsune. He caught some yokai illness off of another yokai. His symptoms are a fever, everything aches and he has lost his supernatural abilities. I wanted to see if I could find something to help him." Kuroko informed the black haired doctor.

"A yokai huh? That is unusual. But I have been trying out some more experimental medicines actually and I believe I might have something that could help your friend." Himuro replied in a friendly tone before going out to the store room.

It wasn't long until Himuro returned with a vile of dark green liquid. "I've done some research on yokai diseases. I've only had the opportunity to try this once, but it was successful, so you could try it. I can also give you a list of the ingredients in case you'd like to research it some more."

Kuroko took the glass container and inspected the fluid. "Of course there is also the matter of payment." Himuro reminded Kuroko timidly.

"Oh, yes. I brought money with me. Here." Kuroko said, pulling five gold pieces out of his pocket.

The two townsmen stared at the contents of the boy's palm before Kagami shouted at the teen. "Idiot! That's nowhere near enough!"

"What? This could buy you a lot. In my village it used to buy you 10 vials of medicine."

Himuro laughed. "Sadly, in the capital, gold coins are not worth as much Kuroko-kun. And this medicine is quite rare and difficult to brew…"

The blue haired teen frowned. This was all the money he had and he couldn't bear to go back to Akashi without something to help him. Behind him, Kagami sighed. "Tatsuya, I'll pay for it."

Kuroko turned to look at the red-head with surprised eyes.

"What? It's the least I can do after you showed me the way back. God knows how long I would have stayed lost out there if you hadn't helped me out." Kagami said.

The edges of Kuroko's mouth turned up in a small smile.

"And you can stay at my place for the night and all. It's getting dark already and there's no way any inn's gunna take you in with just 5 gold."

"Thank you Kagami-san. You are very generous."

"I think I've found Taiga's soft spot." Himuro teased.

"Whatever." Kagami huffed. "Come on, let's go Kuroko."

And so the two went to Kagami's home with the cure in hand.

* * *

The next morning, Kuroko awoke early and well rested. He thanked the red haired man once again and Kagami provided him with a big breakfast.

"Keep safe on your way back okay Kuroko?"

"I will Kagami-san. Thank you for your hospitality, I hope we meet again one day."

"You're welcome to visit any time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> **Next chapter:** Surprise


	8. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:**  
>  This will be the last 'main' chapter but I'm writing another chapter to come after this that I'll hopefully be able to post in the next few days. It'll only be about 1000 words though, just to pre-warn you. (Also, I'm bad at endings - sorry)

**Chapter 8 – Surprise**

The journey back was long and rather boring, with only Nigou's occasional antics providing Kuroko with entertainment. After about a day and a half of walking, Kuroko and Nigou finally made it back to the kitsune's cave.

"Akashi-sama!" Kuroko called as he entered the cave, heading towards the fox's bed.

"Tetsuya." Akashi murmured upon hearing the human's voice. He was relieved that the boy was finally back. "Thank goodness."

Akashi was still curled up in bed just as he had been when Kuroko left. "I told you I'd be fine out there." Kuroko said triumphantly. The teal-head knelt down to be at Akashi's side and held up the medicine. "And look, I got this. It's not guaranteed to work but there's a chance. At the very least it should ease the symptoms for you."

"Well done Tetsuya. You exceeded my expectations. I didn't think you'd actually find anything of much use th-"

"Well, well, well. Looks like Hideo was right. This kid does know the almighty Akashi Seijuro-sama." An intruder sneered.

Akashi's gaze snapped to stare behind Kuroko at a group of trespassing thugs who had entered the room. "Who are you?" Akashi hissed as he attempted to sit up, barely managing to lift his torso from the bed.

"Just some guys who think this place would be a lot better off without you."

"Get out now or I will burn you." The kitsune growled in an effort to bluff.

"Now I don't think you will. We heard this kid in town looking to help his friend who was 'an ill kitsune'." He said, gesturing to Kuroko. "I doubt you could even stand up right now, let alone fight us."

Knowing that these men were going to hurt Akashi, Kuroko stood in front of the supernatural being in a protective manner. "I won't let you harm Akashi-sama." He said, trying to be intimidating.

"Tetsuya, _don't_." Akashi said in a hushed tone. He didn't want the boy to be involved in this. If these men were going to kill him then so be it, but dear god let them leave Kuroko alone.

"Oh kid, thanks for leading us all the way here and giving us the heads up about his weakened state. You were real useful." One of the strangers laughed. The truth was, one of them had heard Kuroko speaking with Kagami and Himuro in the physician's shop. After discovering that Akashi may be ill and unable to use his powers he returned to his comrades to inform them so that they could stalk Kuroko back into the forest, to where the kitsune lived and rid the woods of the beast for good.

"No…I didn't…I didn't mean to…" Kuroko's voice and body began to shake.

"Grab the kid. We can sell him to slavers or something."

_No._ Akashi thought, his eyes widening.

Two muscly men moved forward to grab Kuroko. Akashi grasped the back of the boy's shirt to try and keep him by his side whilst Kuroko himself struggled against the aggressors' attempts to take him. Nigou clawed and bit into one of the offender's legs, but he was easily kicked off seeing as he was still only a small puppy. Unfortunately, both Kuroko and Akashi were far too weak as well and the men pulled Kuroko away with ease, batting Kuroko's flailing arms away.

"No! Please no!" Kuroko shouted as one of the thugs restrained him. He didn't want to lose Akashi. He didn't want to be taken away.

"Shut up." A man said, punching Kuroko in the stomach, silencing his begging. Tears began to run down the boy's face.

_I can't let them take him. I can't leave him…_ Akashi thought. It would be bad enough if they were just going to kill the yokai, but if they sold Kuroko to slavers too? Slavers were cruel and abusive, treating slaves as expendable property not as an individual. Kuroko would never be free to do as he pleased again. Not to mention, they rarely lived past their mid-twenties. Illness or accidents frequently claimed their lives long before their time.

The red-head mustered all of his power to get out of bed and stand up. As he did so, one man stepped forward, drawing an iron sword.

"Uh uh uh. It's time to put you down Mister All-Powerful Fox."

Akashi breathed heavily with the effort of moving, his head pounding and body aching. "You will not take him." Akashi panted. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

One bandit hit Akashi in the face, causing his mind to swirl, as he fell to kneel on the ground another raised his sword above his head and prepared to cut the kitsune down.

"Akashi-sama!" Kuroko shouted in fear.

The crimson eyed man was on his knees and looking down when the sound of a blade cutting flesh and a small cry of pain echoed through the cave. He heard the noise but he didn't feel the…

He picked up his gaze and saw Kuroko facing him. Eyes wide and face frightened. And blood…blood was pouring out of his shoulder and torso. The bandit had cut the boy from the top of his right shoulder and down 5 inches into his chest.

Somehow Kuroko had managed to escape the aggressor's grasp and had run to protect him.

Tears began to well in Akashi's eyes as Kuroko fell forwards and landed on his chest, causing the ill yokai to fall backwards so that he was lying with his back on the floor.

"T-Tetsuya?" Akashi said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Somewhere off to the side one of the offenders was cursing Kuroko for losing them some extra cash. But Akashi didn't care about them anymore. All that mattered was how still Kuroko was being.

Shakily, he raised a hand to the boys shoulder as he willed for any power that was left in him to heal the teen's wound. But nothing happened. He choked back a sob as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Tetsuya." He whispered. "Tetsuya stay with me. Please." He implored as he hugged the boy close and began to quiver in fear. Kuroko had yet to respond to any of his actions, likely due to the shock of the impact and the vast amount of blood he was losing. Eyelids began to droop over cyan eyes while Akashi stared at the human and grasped onto the boy's clothing with one hand while lifting his other to cup his face tenderly.

"Just finish them already. Jeez." Some guy huffed. The bandit with the sword raised it once again, preparing to stab through both Kuroko and Akashi and finally finish the job. Whilst he lifted the sword however an arrow pierced his hand, causing him to fumble the weapon.

A rush of wind was felt by the band of raiders before the sound of one of them screaming penetrated the room. Dark blue and blond hair was seen in a blur as the outlaws were brought down by a nekomata and an inugami.

Akashi was aware that something was going on, but his hazy focus remained on Kuroko, whose breathes were slowing with every passing second, his skin growing deadly pale. Akashi thanked every god known to him when an emerald eyed tanuki knelt by his side, quickly dropping his bow and placing his hands on Kuroko. A light glowed from Midorima's hands as he healed the boy. The green haired yokai had realised that Akashi must have been unable to do so himself.

"Shintaro." Akashi breathed emotionally.

"Be quiet. You need to rest. The others are handling the bandits and I can handle Kuroko. You have no more need to worry." Midorima informed him curtly.

The kitsune heard the words and understood them, but remained still. Grasp still firm and clutching Kuroko to him, even as he saw that the blue haired human's breathes were becoming stronger and more regular despite his lack of consciousness.

"Thank you." Akashi whispered.

* * *

A couple of days after the Generation of Miracles had dealt with the remaining thugs, Kuroko stirred awake, now lying in a bed and buried in blankets beside Akashi.

"Akashi-sama?" Kuroko said sleepily, his throat dry.

"Tetsuya. You're awake!" Akashi said with a smile, though his face still looked weary from worry and his illness.

"W-What happened?" He asked. The memories of what occurred before he passed out were slowly returning to him but he still couldn't figure out how he was still alive.

"Shintaro and the others came to our rescue. We're safe now Tetsuya." He replied, nuzzling his face in azure locks.

Kuroko digested the information for a moment. "But won't they get ill if they were near us?" Kuroko questioned, concern lacing his voice.

"Only Shintaro came close enough to become infected. He and I took some of the medicine you brought back. I gave some to you too. It seems to have prevented the illness from settling in him and I'm starting to feel better already. You did very well Tetsuya."

Kuroko was thankful for the praise but he couldn't eliminate the feeling of guilt taking root in him. "I'm sorry Akashi-sama. I led them here and they almost…they almost killed you." The boy stuttered.

"That's not your fault Tetsuya, you didn't know they were following you back here. If anything, I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you at a time when you needed me to the most. I've failed you twice now." Akashi said with a saddened tone. He began to wrap the teen into an embrace, bringing his fluffy tails around to hug him close with. "Anyway, we're both safe and sound now, so there's no need to dwell on the issue, okay?"

"Okay." Kuroko accepted the fox's words, choosing to snuggle into Akashi's hug rather than fight him on the topic.

"The others are just outside. We've been waiting nearly two days for you to wake up." Akashi informed the human.

"Ah, I'm sorry if I worried you all." Kuroko said with a yawn.

"It's alright. I'm just glad you're okay now, though you should probably drink and eat something. I expect you're quite thirsty and hungry after two days." Akashi said as he began to get out of the bed. Kuroko tried to follow him but found that as soon as he sat up he felt incredibly dizzy, quickly flopping back down into the bed. Akashi, who had observed the event, hastily reprimanded him. "You need to take it slow Tetsuya. As I said, you've been asleep for nearly two days straight. Your lack of movement and sustenance over the past couple of days will affect you. I promise I'll be back in a minute with food for you." He informed the teen, leaning down to tenderly kiss the crown of his head before leaving.

When the kitsune returned with a cup of water and some fruit, he sat on the edge of the bed and used one arm to help Kuroko sit up gradually. "Just take it easy." Akashi encouraged, as he brought the cup around for Kuroko to drink from. The boy took the cup and tilted it slowly so that he could sip from it, but he was soon trying to gulp the liquid down in an attempt to quench his thirst. "Woah, woah slow down." Akashi laughed lightly as water spilt down Kuroko's chin.

After lowering the cup and gasping for air, Kuroko apologised. "Sorry…"

"It's fine. There's plenty of water and I'm not going to take it away so just take your time, okay?"

"Okay." Kuroko conceded, keeping true to his word by slowing his drinking pace.

Soon, Kuroko had already downed two cups of water and Akashi was placing a piece of fruit in his hands for him to eat. It was at that point that an excitable puppy jumped up onto the bed, making haste to lick at Kuroko's face.

The boy smiled at the act of affection. "Hello Nigou." Kuroko said, lifting a hand onto the dog's back to stroke him. A gentle 'arf' was given in reply before the dog continued to nuzzle Kuroko, though he backed away a bit to let his owner eat.

"He was pretty worried about you too - kept whining at the side of your bed." Akashi told Kuroko, watching the two fondly."Kise wasn't much different now that I think about it." Akashi joked, earning a minute giggle from Kuroko. "As you could probably guess, the others are keen to see you too. Do you think you're ready to see them?" Akashi asked, wanting to make sure Kuroko was up for seeing the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

"Yeah, I just feel kind of tired but it would be nice to see th-"

"Tetsuyacchi/Tetsu-kun!" Kise and Momoi cried in unison as they burst into the room, having been eavesdropping by the entrance after they saw Akashi take food and water in there and waiting to hear Kuroko finally confirm he was okay with seeing them.

They ran up to Kuroko's bedside before leaning down to cuddle him alongside Nigou.

"We were so worried about you Tetsu-kun!"

"We just came over to see you guys and then all those mean guys were stood outside. We were so scared that they'd-" Kise started.

"Stop smothering him you two." Midorima said irately, having followed the two into the room alongside Aomine and Murasakibara. "He needs space and rest."

"Tetsu's had plenty of rest, he's been asleep for 2 days!" Aomine retorted.

"That's not the point. I may have healed him, but the shock wo-"

"But we all want to see Kuro-chin, Mido-chin." Murasakibara complained.

With that, Midorima sighed before conceding. "Fine."

"Hello everyone." Kuroko greeted. "Thank you for rescuing Akashi-sama and I. I'm very grateful."

"It was nothing Tetsu. That's what friends are for right?"

Conversation soon bubbled up across the room between the yokai. Kuroko looked around the room, at all the friends he had made over the past several years and he wondered how he got so lucky. Previous to his meeting with Akashi, he'd had no friends beyond his mother and was shunned by most of the village for his lack of presence and weakness. Now he had half a dozen companions surrounding him, all fussing over him to make sure that he was okay and that he felt safe.

Whilst the others were all bickering and chattering, Akashi turned to Kuroko. He noticed tears shimmering in the human's eyes as he observed the others. "What's wrong Tetsuya?"

"Nothing." Kuroko said, wiping the water from his eyes. "I just love you all so much."

"Tetsuya..." Akashi was touched. He leaned in to give Kuroko a ruffle of the hair and a delicate peck on the cheek before whispering "We all love you too Tetsuya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>  Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> **Next chapter:** Epilogue - Snow


	9. Epilogue - Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:**  
>  Firstly, let me apologise that this was so late compared to the other chapters – I got ill and then was super busy with coursework.  
> Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with and read this story! Especially to those who have left reviews and have followed/favourited the story. This will be the first multi-chapter fic I actually finish (even though Lost and Found is a lot longer and I started it ages ago hahaha – I promise I'll get back to writing that now). I hope you have enjoyed it all so far and that you like this final bit of fluff. ^_^

**Epilogue - Snow**

"Tetsuya, you need to put your gloves on if you're going to build a snowman. I don't want your hands freezing." Akashi insisted as the young teen made to go out into the freezing outdoors.

"Of course Akashi-sama." Kuroko said, taking the black gloves that Akashi was offering him. He slid them on before running out into a clearing of snow by the iced over river.

It was Kuroko's 15th birthday and the Generation of Miracles, Momoi and an inugami called Takao, who Midorima had introduced the group to recently, had come to hang out with the human and celebrate the special day. The days leading up to Kuroko's birthday had brought heavy snowfall, however, much to Kuroko's delight, the snow let up that morning, leaving the forest covered in a fresh blanket of thick snow all ready for them to play in.

Upon the six yokais' arrival at Akashi's home, Kise had almost immediately suggested a snowman building competition in which they got into pairs to compete. Kuroko was allowed to choose who he wanted to join forces with first as it was his special day. He chose Akashi of course. Takao then announced that he and Midorima would be a team, and Momoi asked Murasakibara if he'd like to go with her. That just left…

"Dammit, why do I have to be on a team with this guy?" Aomine complained.

"Aominecchi~ Come on, we can do this!" Kise said, trying to encourage him.

"Now that everyone's in teams, we have until the sun reaches its peak in the sky. Then we'll decide which team did the best." Akashi announced. "3, 2, 1, go!" And so the snowman building began.

Akashi and Kuroko took their time, planning out exactly what they were going to do logically before they started building anything. Meanwhile the rest of them simply began building straight away.

When it was over halfway through the competition, it was already clear who was going to win. Whilst no-one had finished yet, Akashi and Kuroko's snowman was nearing perfection. "I'll go find some round pebbles for the eyes Akashi-sama." Kuroko informed the fox. He then wondered off into the edges of the woods.

"Takao. The arms are off. One is much lower than the other." Midorima criticised.

"Sorry Shin-chan." The shorter apologised. He pulled out one of the misplaced arms and moved it further up the torso of the snowman.

Midorima sighed. "Now you've moved it too far up."

"Well then, why don't you come and help me Shin-chan." Takao grinned.

Whilst the partners adjusted the arms of their snowman, Momoi and Murasakibara were building up their snowman at a leisurely pace.

"Well done Mukkun! The head looks great!" Momoi cheered.

"Thanks Sa-chin. You've done a good job with the body."

Everyone's projects were going well, everyone's except for Kise and Aomine's. They just couldn't agree on anything and their complete lack of cooperation was shown in the abomination of a snowman they had built.

"Aominecchi, stopping undoing everything I do!"

"It looks better the way I'm doing it. I should just do this by myself." Aomine grumbled.

"Dai-chan, stop being mean to Ki-chan. This is a team competition, you need to work together to win." Momoi called over from her spot with Murasakibara.

"I'm not being mean, I'm being hones-" Aomine began, but before he could finish the sentence, Kise snuck up behind him and slid some snow down the back of his shirt.

"What the hell you bastard!" Aomine bellowed, squirming as the cold material slid down his back. He then quickly reached down to grab a handful of snow and rolled it into a dense ball in his hands. "Take this!" and with that, he threw the snowball.

The sphere of snow collided with Kise's face and disintegrated on impact.

"That hurt Aominecchi!" Kise cried before crouching down to make his own snowball to get even with the navy-head.

The one-on-one battle soon caught the attention of all the other yokai present.

"Aomine. Kise. Stop this childish behaviour." Midorima chided. Little did he know, Takao was stood behind him and the snow that had been filling the black haired inugami's hand moments ago was already flying towards the back of the tanuki's head.

Midorima was silently seething for a few seconds after the impact before shouting. "Takao!" Which was soon followed by the raven head bursting out laughing. Whilst the inugami was crying with laughter, Midorima took the opportunity to retaliate. However, as he chucked the snowball, Takao unknowingly ducked out of the way, carried away in his amusement. Instead it flew through the air and hit Murasakibara in the back.

A dark aura surrounded the giant as he turned around. "Mido-chin."

"I was aiming for-" Midorima said disgruntledly, but there was no calming Murasakibara. The mujina took his time in creating a huge snowball before throwing it at the emerald haired yokai with great force.

It soon turned into a full on war, with Nigou bounding about excitedly and Akashi observing the chaos from the side-lines. Kuroko ran across from the woods, pebbles in hand, coming to a stop a few metres from Akashi.

"What happened Akashi-sama?" The blue haired human asked, looking at the snow-battle happening in front of him.

"These idiots can't even build a snowman without getting into trouble apparently. No matter, it simply gives us the opportunity to further our lead even more, after all, we're not as immature as the-"

Kuroko threw a snowball at the kitsune's chest.

Silence fell over the clearing as the other yokai noticed the incident. The quiet was soon followed by some giggling from Kuroko which then led to Kise, Takao, Momoi and Aomine laughing as well.

Akashi just stared at the ground for a moment. He then slowly gathered a snowball in his hands before lifting his gaze to Kuroko. "I thought you were better than this Tetsuya." He said, pretending to be wrathful. Unfortunately for him, though luckily for Kuroko, yet another snowball flew at Akashi, this time from Aomine. But Akashi saw it coming this time and managed to dodge it and he swiftly chucked his snowball right back at the navy-head, hitting the inugami directly in the face causing Aomine to fall on his backside and sink into the snow covered ground.

With that, the eight friends fought and fought until only Kuroko was left standing – though that was likely because the others didn't have it in their heart to throw high-speed snowballs at the teen, even if he _was_ throwing snow at them.

Sadly, the snowmen were all destroyed in the skirmish, leaving their original competition in ruins. Once everyone finally found the energy to get up, Akashi invited everyone to come in for a hot drink of tea around the fireplace.

The eight friends settled down, sitting on a combination of pillows and blankets that Akashi had thrown onto the floor for them. After a few minutes of conversation, Akashi entered with the tea tray and poured everyone a drink.

The beverage warmed Kuroko to the core as he sipped it and he soon found himself feeling drowsy despite the time still being rather early in the day. Akashi sat down next to Kuroko with his legs crossed. The red-head observed that even their yokai friends seemed to be rather sleepy now, worn out from the snowball fight and completely relaxed by the warmth of the fire and tea.

Having noticed that the kitsune was now sat beside him, Kuroko leant over and lay his head down on Akashi's lap, snuggling up to the yokai's warmth. "Akashi-sama?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I had a really fun day." Kuroko said before yawning and closing his eyes.

The red haired yokai smiled before placing a hand in teal locks and bringing his tails around to provide the small human with a fluffy blanket whilst he slept before finally whispering "It's I who should thank you Tetsuya, for everything."

**Fin.**


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